milky colored water new shallow well

[decar]

I finished driving a 2 ft. 1 1/4 in. sand point 25 ft. deep. For a pitcher pump. There is water at 22 ft. (local knowledge) I went 3 ft. more to make sure the entire well screen was in it. This well produces an abundance of water but, I can't get it to clear up and stay clear. I connected a irrigation pump to it to help with development. I have run it for about 3 hours a day for several days. Each day it starts out very milky, after it has run for a while it gradually clears up but it takes a while. Problem is, it want be clear the next day. It is like starting from scratch again. The soil is very sandy where I live, the only resistance I encountered was gumbo clay, ( gray goo) about 10 ft. down. Seemed to be about 18 in. thick. Very tough stuff! Some of this gray clay came out when I first started pumping. I wonder if the gumbo I had to go through is giving it the cloudy milky color. I have flushed it with water, blasted it with air pressure, and pumped it off with the irrigation pump. Can't get it to stay clear. The water tested good, so I don't wont to give up on it. Is anyone familiar with what might be causing this? If I keep pumping, will it clear up? Thanks much for any advice.

 

[Valveman]

About the only thing you can do is continue to pump. If should clear up eventually. Cloudy water means stuff that will not settle to the bottom of a glass and is very hard to filter in anyway. The small slots in a sand screen will keep most things out, just not the cloudy stuff.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Put the cloudy water into a drinking glass or glass jar. Let that sit motionless for 24 and 48 hours. What do you see then?

 

[decar]

About the only thing you can do is continue to pump. If should clear up eventually. Cloudy water means stuff that will not settle to the bottom of a glass and is very hard to filter in anyway. The small slots in a sand screen will keep most things out, just not the cloudy stuff.

Thank you Valveman, exactly right, it will not settle to the bottom of a glass. With each pumping session though, it seems to be taking less time to start clearing. I will continue to pump. It may be that patience and persistence may be the remedy. Not my strong suits, but I'll keep trying. Thanks again.

 

[decar]

Put the cloudy water into a drinking glass or glass jar. Let that sit motionless for 24 and 48 hours. What do you see then?

The water remains the same as when it entered the glass. The degree of cloudiness depends on the time I collected the sample. The earlier in the pumping session the cloudier. After a few hours of pumping, it's clear. Same every day, although it doesn't seem to be taking as long to start gradually clearing. There is no sediment in bottom of glass. One thing I will mention, it seems to clear faster with the pitcher pump (pumping manually) than it does with the electric irrigation pump. And of course, the electric pump produces much more volume. I don't know? Seems like it should be the opposite. Thank you Reach4. I appreciate it.

 

[Valveman]

Of course the electric pump makes more sediment. Keep stirring it up and pumping it out.

 

[decar]

Of course the electric pump makes more sediment. Keep stirring it up and pumping it out.

It finally cleared Fri afternoon, and stayed clear overnight. Good water. All the hours and hours of pumping seams like such a waste, but, how else could you clear it up. I understand now, that in fact there is no other way. Thank you for responding to my post. Your advice was extremely helpful in the success of this project.